Chapter 11

There was dead silence on the other end of the phone. Valerie could almost picture her friend sitting there with her mouth hanging open while she decided if she was hearing things right.

“Kallie? You still there?” Valerie took great pleasure in shocking her normally unflappable friend.

“That’s real funny, Val. Great fantasy, though.” Kallie was smiling to herself. Valerie must be feeling better, she thought. This time of year, there were never any jokes from the otherwise hilarious woman.

“I mean it, K. Jon was out walking the beach last night and saw me, well, being drunken me…” Valerie trailed off, blushing, remembering what she must have looked like to him.

“You mean dancing wildly in the moonlight?” Kallie laughed at that mental picture. More than once she had joined Valerie in what they call celebrating the night.

“Pretty much, yeah,” Valerie said. “Anyway, he asked me what the hell I was so happy about, and I mouthed off to him. Took him by surprise, I’m sure. Jesus, K, I swear to God, I nearly died when he looked at me with those eyes. They’re bluer than they look in pictures. They’re just amazing.”

Kallie considered her friend. “You’re totally serious, aren’t you?”

“As a heart-attack, sweetie.”

“Jesus, Valerie. Um, what’s he like?”

Valerie laughed. “Like nothing you’ve ever seen. I mean, up close? The pictures don’t do him justice. The little laugh lines they airbrush away are completely sexy, and those eyes? God almighty himself covets those eyes.”

“What about the smile? Did you get the smile?” Kallie was practically shouting, and Valerie was in hysterics.

“Listen to you! Jesus, how old are you?”

“Screw you, Val, just tell me!”

“The smile is the best part. Absolute perfection.”

Kallie whistled. “Then you should definitely wear the red halter dress we packed. Red is a great color on you, and it’s a very sexy dress. Who knows what could happen, right? I mean, you’re both unattached adults.” Leave it to her best friend to bring the conversation to the dirty stuff.

Valerie paused just for a moment, smiling at her recollection of last night, before saying “Yeah, you’re right about that, Kal.”

Thankfully (at least Valerie thought so) Kallie misunderstood her thoughtful hesitation for trepidation. “Look,” she said. “I’m not saying you have to marry the guy, but if he asks, say yes.” She laughed at her own wit. “All I’m saying is that a few stolen kisses, or a roll in the hay with that man? Well hell, if that doesn’t cure you, nothing will.”

Valerie laughed. If she only knew just how right she was. “Alright, you’ve convinced me; the red it is. Don’t expect a play-by-play if things get interesting though,” she said, confident they would.

“Oh no you don’t! I made you go out there, I packed the sex dress, I get the deets,” Kallie said firmly. “It’s only fair. No holding out on me. Besides,” she laughed, “you’re so transparent, I’d take one look at you and just KNOW.”

“Yeah, you’re right,” Valerie laughed back. “Okay, I need to get ready; I just wanted to let you know because, God, am I really saying this? This little adventure may get into the papers, and, well, I wanted you to hear it from me.” Valerie had pulled the filmy red dress from the closet, and hung it on the back of the bathroom door. She turned the shower on hot, to get the room filling with steam.

“Alright, you lucky bitch. Have a good time,” Kallie sighed. “Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do.”

Valerie laughed. “In my place, there’s nothing you wouldn’t do!”

“Exactly!”

The two women exchanged goodnights, and Valerie went into the bathroom. She stripped down and stood under the hot needles of water and sighed. For some reason, this date made her extremely nervous. She basically had no secrets from this man now; not after their talk today and certainly not after last night. The thought of sitting across the table from him, however, seemed to be too normal and domestic. The wild night she could chalk up to the wine and the emotions of the day. The day they’d spent today she could write off as day-after politeness. That they clicked instantly when they were talking was just icing on the cake.

This date, however? Well that meant he was really interested in her and that scared the hell out of her. Her track record with good-looking men wasn’t good, and she really barely knew Jon. Not that she was expecting anything out of this other than a fun weekend full of memories that would last her a lifetime, but she couldn’t help where her thoughts naturally took her. She’d have to try, though. She couldn’t live in the past anymore; couldn’t paint every man with the same brush. She had to learn to trust again – both in her own instincts, and in the men she was with. She trusted Jon with her body, but not yet with her heart.

She shook off the negative thoughts and washed and conditioned her hair, so it would dry nice and soft. She used a vanilla-scented body wash, knowing it would mix with her lotion enticingly. When she was done, she combed her hair out and studied her reflection in the mirror. It was a long time since she’d dressed for a man. A long time since she’d wanted to look really good for someone. Nervousness aside, she was really looking forward to tonight. Valerie smiled. Coming out here was a great idea, and a ‘roll in the hay’ with that man was definitely part of her cure.

Valerie stepped into a red g-string and smoothed a peach-scented lotion down her legs and across arms and shoulders. Her dress had a built-in bra, so she could dispense with that. She slipped the dress over her head, taking care to smooth it over her hips. She looked at herself critically. The dress clung to her un-tethered breasts, dipping low in between. The back was cut almost to her waist, and would be all but hidden once her hair was done. The dress’ flirty skirt ended a good two inches above her knees. Valerie pulled her very favorite high-heeled sandals from her bag; three inch, silver strappy sandals. They made her legs look that much longer.

Satisfied with her ensemble, she set to work on her hair. When it was wet, it looked brown, and was a riot of curls. She usually tamed it by blowing it out, but tonight, she wanted to feel the sexy curls cascade down her back; wanted to feel Jon’s hands tangle in them. Shivering deliciously, she ran a gel through her hair, to help keep the curls from frizzing, and blew out the front a little, making wispy bangs that framed her green eyes beautifully. The rest, she’d let dry naturally.

Valerie expertly applied makeup, taking care to frame her eyes with dark lashes and liner. Pale pink lipstick and just a hint of eye shadow was all she added. The net result of her efforts? It made even her whistle at her reflection. She donned some fun, simple costume jewelry, and checked the clock. She had a little over a half-hour to go. She poured herself a glass of wine to steady her nerves, and went out onto the porch to wait.